Caseload

The number of persons served by the WIC and FCM programs during SFY 2007 is presented in Table 1. FCM does not keep a separate count of the number of participating "post partum or breastfeeding women." However, under USDA guidelines, these women comprise a separate category of eligibility for the WIC program.

Table 1 Number of Persons Served in WIC and FCM Programs by Type of Client and Program SFY 2007

Type of Client

Program: WIC

Program: FCM

Pregnant Women

116,648

121,408

Post Partum or Breastfeeding Women

48,085

not applicable

Infants

182,983

170,894

Children

171,534

53,467

Total

519,250

345,769

The caseload of both programs has remained fairly constant or grown over the last several years, as illustrated in Table 2.

Table 2 Total Number of Persons Served in WIC and FCM Programsby Program and State Fiscal Year SFY 2002-2007

Program

FY
2002

FY
2003

FY
2004

FY
2005

FY
2006

FY
2007

FCM

352,710

366,675

370,286

371,487

371,676

345,769

WIC

485,800

503,425

508,250

516,568

514,350

519,250

The WIC and FCM programs together reach more than 44 percent of all infants and nearly 85 percent of Medicaid-eligible infants born in Illinois each year. Women who are at greatest risk for giving birth prematurely or having a baby with other health problems are over-represented in the caseload of the WIC and FCM programs. More than two-thirds of African American women who give birth in Illinois each year, as well as two-thirds of Hispanic and Latino women, three-fourths of unmarried mothers and four-fifths of teen-aged mothers participate in the WIC or FCM programs each year. This indicates that these programs are reaching their intended target population. Please refer to Table 3.

WIC and FCM serve more than 44 percent of all infants born in Illinois and more than 85 percent of all Medicaid eligible infants.

Table 3 Number and Percent of All Live Births and Live Births to WIC or FCM Participants, by Demographic Group* Illinois, 2005

Group

All Live Births
Number

All Live Births
Percent

WIC or FCM
Number

WIC or FCM
Percent

WIC or FCM
Percent of Group

White

134,418

77.2%

56,858

70.6%

42.3%

Black

30,069

17.3%

21,234

26.4%

70.6%

Asian and Native American**

9,709

5.6%

2,411

3.0%

24.8%

All

174,196

100.0%

80,503

100.0%

46.2%

Hispanic

43,273

24.8%

31,691

39.4%

73.2%

Single

64,952

37.3%

50,847

63.2%

78.3%

Teen

17,017

9.8%

14,670

18.2%

86.2%

* Resident live births occurring in Illinois. From birth file released to IDHS by IDPH.
**Includes all other races.